News Broadcasting
BVITV-AP signs first ever deal with Metro TV Indonesia for ABC News Programming
MUMBAI: Buena Vista International Television-Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) today announced its first ever deal with Indonesia’s only dedicated terrestrial news channel, Media Televisi Indonesia (Metro TV), for ABC News Programming. It is the first time that viewers in Indonesia will have access to exclusive ABC News Programming, which started last month.
Under this new agreement, ABC News, where more Americans get their news than from any other source, will provide breaking news programming and reports including award winning and acclaimed news magazines 20/20 and Primetime as well in-depth ABC specials such as Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People.
“We are thrilled to be bringing ABC’s enviable world-class news programming for the first time to Indonesia. The ABC News portfolio will offer Metro TV a constantly updated resource of premium in-depth, quality news and interviews for their distinguished viewers and we look forward to our new collaboration with them,” said BVITV-AP senior vice president and managing director Steve Macallister.
“ABC News embraces this ground-breaking opportunity to offer our top-rated programs in Indonesia. We are dedicated to expanding our reach and making our quality content available across the globe,” said ABC News Digital Media Group senior vice president and general manager Bernard Gershon.
“Metro TV is very happy to have this cooperation with ABC News, this will add quality content to our International News programs,” said Metro TV director of programming and development Zsa Zsa Yusharyahya.
Metro TV is Indonesia’s exclusive free-to-air news channel offering local and international headline news and comprehensive news programming in all fields from politics to business to art and culture in a quick, credible and reliable way for local and international viewers.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
